Inter Milan defeats FC Barcelona to advance to the UEFA Champions League Final – Defending champion FC Barcelona and Internazionale who currently lead Serie A, met in what was clearly the stronger of the two semifinals and most thought the Spanish champions would get by. Perhaps there is a reason no team has ever repeated as Champions League winners because I cannot remember a team more likely to repeat than Barcelona this year. The first leg at the San Siro was really the key in this affair, and one goal in particular. Barcelona struck first to lead 1-0, but Inter would come back strong and won by a 3-1 score, although the pivotal third goal by Diego Milito appeared to be offside. The defending champions had their work cut out for them in the second leg as they would need a 2-0 victory to advance to the final. Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho made his strategy clear as he was playing with a curtain of white shirts on defense to try and prevent the high powered Spaniard’s offense from scoring. This became even more evident when Inter was taken down to 10 men when Thiago Motta was sent off on a questionable red card. What wasn’t questionable, however, was the ridiculous reaction Motta had after the call as he grabbed the neck of Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets who he was accused of fouling earlier.
The second half of the second leg at the Nou Camp started with a 0-0 score and the home side in need of two goals. A curious move by manager Pep Guardiola came in the 63rd minute when he replaced Zlatan Ibrahimovic with young 19 year old Bojan Krkic. It makes me wonder why the Swedish international was given all that money if it wasn’t to have him in games like this. Bojan is a nice young player, but Ibrahimovic has over 20 goals this season and his height can give defenders issues, not to mention he is much more experienced. Bojan would miss a golden opportunity in the 81st minute when he placed an open header just wide of the post. Defender Gerard Pique, who might have been the Catalan side’s best player, would finally get Barcelona on the board in the 84th minute with a goal, which much like Inter’s final goal at the San Siro appeared to be offside. It later appeared that Barca had gotten their miracle goal when Bojan finished an opportunity in extra time, however, the referee ruled that the ball had come off the hand of Yaya Toure, although after seeing the replay it was clearly the wrong decision. The final whistle came and 10-men Inter’s defensive fortress held up as they celebrated on the defending champion’s home field. I think the better team actually lost in this case as Barcelona clearly dominated the game, although Inter was just sitting in a defensive shell and never even considered attacking for the entire game. Inter was outshot 20 to 1 and only had a time of possession of 14%, but they got the result they needed after their shocking first leg 2 goal victory to propel them to the final. Give manager Jose Mourinho credit as his strategy paid off in the end and he once again got a team to the final of the Champions League as he did when he won with FC Porto back in 2004.
The first semifinal was between German leaders Bayern Munich and French club Lyon. The German side proved to be the better team as they won the first leg 1-0 in Munich, despite losing midfielder Franck Ribery after the 37th minute, and won on the strength of Ivica Olic’s hat trick and a Lyon red card by a 3-0 score in France on Tuesday. Both teams had knocked off previous champions with Munich defeating Manchester United on the away goals rule in the quarterfinals and Lyon knocked off Spanish powerhouses Real Madrid in the Round of 16. Bayern is the first German side to appear in a Champions League Final since 2002. The final now puts coaches Jose Mourinho and Louis Van Gaal head to head, as the Inter manager used to work under the Dutch mastermind at Barcelona. The Bayern manager also didn’t hesitate to say that he was happy to be facing Inter and not his former team as he felt it was a better match up.
Pair of Game 7’s in NHL’s first round – Two series in the NHL’s first round of the playoffs went to a deciding Game 7. On Tuesday, it was the surprise Phoenix Coyotes hosting the defending Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings. The 4th seeded Coyotes had been the Cinderella story in the NHL this season after they filed for bankruptcy last year. Detroit struggled early in the season and had numerous injury problems. They won the Stanley Cup back in 2007/08 against the Penguins and lost in the Cup Final in a rematch against Pittsburgh last season. After the Olympic break, the Red Wings caught fire and surged into the 5th spot in the West. Most people expected Detroit to continue their surge and win convincingly over Phoenix, but the Coyotes played them tough throughout the series. Game 7 would be a different story, however, as Detroit put it all together and destroyed the Coyotes 6-1. Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalov actually played very well despite the score line, but Red Wings’ stars Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and captain Nicklas Lidstrom proved to be too strong. The turning point came when the Wings were up 3-1 and were killing a 5 on 3 advantage for Phoenix. The Coyotes couldn’t score and with only seconds remaining in the second period and moments after the penalty was killed, Red Wings defensemen Brad Stuart burst out of the box and ahead of the Coyotes defense and scored to put the Wings up 4-1.
The other Game 7 took place last night between the top seeded and President Trophy (Award given to team with the most points in the regular season) winners the Washington Capitals against the 8th seeded Montreal Canadians. Washington led the series 3 games to 1 with Game 5 going back to the nation’s capital. Montreal went in and won that game and returned home with a victory to force a Game 7. Canadians’ goalie Jaroslav Halak, who was pulled in Game 3 and benched in Game 4, was unbelievable in the final 3 games in the series. In all he stopped 131 of 134 shots in the final 3 games, including 53 and 41 saves respectively in the final 2 games. The Canadians went up 1-0 in the first on a 4 on 3 power play goal. They held the lead despite facing constant pressure and the Habs would eventually add another to go on top 2-0 late in the 3rd, which seemed to be the final dagger. Although the Capitals outshot Montreal 42 to 16 and completely dominated play, Halak and the Canadians defense who blocked shot after shot would be the difference. The Caps got some hope when they finally broke through on Halak with just over 2 minutes left in the game. They came close and bombarded Halak and the Habs defense in the final minutes, but couldn’t get that elusive game tying goal. The Canadians bent, but did not break as they became the first 8 seed to come back from 3 games to 1 down to win a series against a 1 seed. Another major factor was the lack of production of the Capitals power play, which was ranked first in the league in the regular season with over a 25% success rate, which went a dreadful 1 for 33 in the first round against Montreal.
With the Capitals losing in the Eastern Conference, it meant that all 3 division champions in the regular season had been eliminated (Caps, Devils, Sabres). The defending champion Penguins, a 4 seed, were the only favorites to advance as they will now have home ice through the Eastern Conference playoffs. Just one of the reasons why the NHL playoffs are so exciting.
Phillies sign Howard to 5 year deal – Although he still had two years left on his contract, the Philadelphia Phillies signed their slugging first baseman, Ryan Howard, for 5 additional years for $125 million. The move makes Howard the second highest paid player ever based on the average amount of dollars made per year for the duration of this contract, trailing only Alex Rodriguez. Howard is one of three active players to hit over 40 home runs for 4 consecutive years in the National League, the others being Albert Pujols and Adam Dunn.
The move also has a big influence on the future deals of 3 first basemen whose contracts all expire after the 2011 season. The Cardinals Pujols, The Brewers Prince Fielder, and the Padres Adrian Gonzalez will all be looking for similar deals when the time comes for them to get new contracts. Gonzalez seems likely to be headed to free agency by then instead of staying in San Diego where their payroll for this season is only $37 million in total. In order to get something back by trading him, the Padres may deal him at this year’s deadline or at season’s end, depending on how their season is looking. Fielder could be resigned by the Brewers, but may also be too much for them to afford. Pujols is the interesting story because you would imagine he would get paid a reasonable amount more than Howard. While Howard has the edge slightly in his 162 game average of home runs and RBI over his career compared to Pujols (49 and 142 to 43 and 129), the 3-time NL MVP has a significantly higher career batting average (.334 to .279), slugging percentage (.628 to .582), and OPS (On-base percentage + slugging percentage, 1.055 to .955).
Braves manager Bobby Cox recently stated that he thought Pujols was well worth $50 million a year, without seeming to be joking in the slightest bit. While I doubt he will get paid that much, I would expect Pujols to be offered somewhere around $35 million a year, which would make him the highest paid player in the league. As a Cardinals and Pujols fan, I hope he stays in St. Louis and that they can afford to keep him there with a strong supporting cast around him.
Fallout of NFL draft – The draft ended on Saturday, but some teams were still dealing some players this week. The New York Jets continued their busy offseason when they traded popular running back Leon Washington to Seattle after they drafted USC back Joe McKnight in the 4th round. They also released 9-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle (most among active offensive lineman) Alan Faneca. Fighting for that vacant spot on the offensive line will be 2nd round pick Vladimir Ducasse and last year’s 6th round pick Matt Slausen. McKnight is a similar back to Washington, but his work ethic and breakaway speed are a question. As a Jets fan, I’m skeptical of releasing Faneca, who was later signed to a 1 year deal by the Cardinals, for two unproven players. The Jets have a lot of faith in offensive line coach Bill Callahan and they wanted to get younger on the o-line, but I hope one of these two young players can step up and make the Jets offensive line the best in the league again this year.
Among the big stories in the draft were of course the quarterbacks. Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford was taken 1st overall as expected by the Rams. It will be interesting to see if the Rams start him right away or let him sit on the bench for at least part of the season. They will be paying him too much money to see him sit on the bench, however, and he will almost definitely start at some point this season if not right away, although he will likely struggle as there is little help around him right now in St. Louis. Surprisingly, the second QB taken was Florida’s Tim Tebow, who was taken with the 25th pick by the Broncos. Although it is unsure whether or not Tebow will be used under center this season, coach Josh McDaniels will definitely let Tebow see some action in the game whether it is in goal-line packages or in the wildcat. Make no mistake, however, that Denver plans Tebow to be their QB of the future as they wouldn’t have drafted him this high if they didn’t expect the former Heisman Trophy winner to be their future leader.
The other two QBs who were big names in the draft were Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy. Most experts had Clausen going in the first round and draft guru Mel Kiper even had him ranked higher than Bradford. Clausen had to wait until the 48th overall pick where he was taken by the Carolina Panthers. The wait might have been worth it for Clausen as he is in a good situation with the Panthers. The former Notre Dame QB will be able to compete for the starting job with current starter Matt Moore, who went 4-1 as a starter with 8 TDs and 2 INTs last season after replacing Jake Delhomme. While I expect Moore to start the season for Carolina, don’t be surprised if Clausen takes over if Moore struggles as he is the most pro-ready QB in this draft class. McCoy ended up going 85th overall to the Cleveland Browns, one pick after his former teammate and roommate from Texas Jordan Shipley went to division rivals the Cincinnati Bengals. McCoy is also in a good situation in Cleveland. The Browns shipped off both Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson, their two starters from last season. New acquisition Jake Delhomme will likely be the starter at the beginning of the season for the Browns, however, he was horrific last year for the Panthers as he had only 8 TDs and 18 INTs. Browns new president Mike Holmgren recently stated that McCoy won’t start at any point this year, but if Delhomme and the Browns are struggling, there is no reason to not look towards the future and let McCoy see some action.
NBA’s first round of the playoffs wrapping up – In the Eastern Conference, there haven’t been many surprises as expected. The defending Eastern Conference champion Magic swept the Bobcats while both the Cavaliers and Celtics won convincingly in 5 games to also advance. The one compelling series in the East is between the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks. The home team took the first 4 games, but the Bucks got a big come from behind win in Game 5 in Atlanta to go up 3 games to 2 with the series shifting back to Milwaukee for Game 6. The Hawks seemed in control when they were up 82-73 with just over 4 minutes left to play, but the Bucks caught fire and went on a 14-0 run to go up 5. They would end the game on an 18-5 run overall to steal Game 5 by a score of 91-87. The Bucks are now in control of the series, however, if they want to advance it will likely have to be in 6 games. The Hawks were 19-22 on the road this season and have been terrible on the road in the last few post-seasons. On the other hand, they were 34-7 at home, which makes this Bucks’ win even more unlikely. Milwaukee had a similar discrepancy with their record at home and away so if the series goes back for a Game 7 in Atlanta, it might be too much to ask for the Bucks to win 2 games in Atlanta in a single playoff series.
The Western Conference has had 4 much more compelling series as all match ups are headed towards a Game 6, including the Mavericks v. Spurs and Suns v. Blazers which take place tonight. The veteran Spurs are coming back home for Game 6 after the Mavs stayed alive with a victory in the last game. For the road teams who are up 3 games to 2 and are heading home for Game 6, it is important they close out their series. Both the Spurs and Jazz, who were forced to a Game 6 after the Nuggets beat them last night, will want to use the home crowd to their advantage and do not want a Game 7 on the road to decide the series. While I hesitate to call it a must win for either team, they will make it much easier on themselves if they can close it out in 6 games instead of having to win Game 7 on the road.
For the other two series, the Suns are looking to close out the resilient Trail Blazers tonight in Portland. The Blazers got a huge boost when injured star Brandon Roy came back after only a couple of weeks when he was supposed to miss at least 4 weeks after he had knee surgery. The star is clearly not 100%, but is playing through the pain to help his team. While I compliment Roy for having the leadership and bravery to play through this injury, I’m not sure management or the coaching staff should be risking his future by letting him play right now. The final series has been one of the most interesting as the 8th seeded Thunder trail the defending champion Lakers 3 games to 2 going back to Oklahoma City. I give the Thunder a shot to win at home, but cannot see them winning in Los Angeles in this series, as the home team has won all 5 games so far, the last two in blow out victories in each direction. I think the West is wide open at this point so it will be exciting to see who comes out to represent the conference in the NBA Finals.
April 29, 2010 · Filed under MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, Soccer
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I apologize for the momentary hiatus from beer blogging. To clarify, it was a pause in writing, not experimenting. Seemingly all of a sudden the sun has ferociously emerged, yellow flowers have bloomed over night, clouds have been washed away along with wintry thoughts, and beer has changed along with the season. I’ve been slightly distracted from my priorities.
I was splashed with loud colors as I careened down the beer isle yesterday and was immensely pleased to see a golden plated sixer of Sam Adams Summer Ale tucked away in the corner, whispering seductively to me: “Time goes by quick. Here we are again.” The weather calls for it, but it does seem slightly premature to throw out a summer ale at this point. I couldn’t help but picture Jim Koch, Sam Adams founder (you’ve probably seen him in commercials advertising unorthodox, oblong beer mugs in which, due to scientific law, somehow makes the beer better), holding a meeting with his big-bellied, bearded crew, announcing their quiet entry into the summer, placing merely one six pack in all stores. I snagged the seasonal six instantly following this thought. Just incase.
Sipping on the summer ale, leaning against the ledge on my balcony, inhaling the sudden rush of peaceful weather and all newfound senses that come with it forced me to recall a wonderful brew for the season: the Sea Dog Bluepaw Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale. Here at James Madison University, amidst an unprecedented amount of Natty spillage during the nationally televised supposed riot, I took a step back from the wreckage to get back to my roots and got my hands on this majestic blueberry liquid.
I don’t know how to put it for this beer. I’m not one to encourage and harp on the positives of fruit beers; they’re ultimately un-beer like, soft drink-esque…fruity. Not really a legitimate beer category in my mind. The color is quite pedestrian, light, dull. You can see your friend’s distorted face jumbled on the other side as you look through it. It looks like a beer at the ballpark. But there is something to it. Waft it in; taste it with purpose.
A friend of mine recently sent me a video starring a college aged girl, it seemed, who just awoke out of the wisdom teeth removal daze, still brimming with laughing gas or whatever anesthetics were flowing through her veins. To quote her word for word she said, as she drooled onto her chin: “I feel like a unicorn just took me on a ride to a magical place, to the land of blueberries.” That’s pretty much this beer in a concise sentence. She says it better than I ever can. A nice stroll to the land of blueberries, tip the unicorn generously, borrow a bottle opener from Papa Smurf, pop open the beer, and there you are. A blueberry muffin in a bottle.
You’re not sure if you want to admit that you’re absolutely in love with this beer. After all, it thwarts the taste of a real beer, which consequently creates a very unmanly situation as you sit with your capers discussing the previous night’s game, reflecting on the big hit, the game winner, et cetera as you all hold a longneck of blueberry beer in hand. So, don’t mention it. Just drink it absentmindedly and stick to sports. But converse in mind to yourself when you can and you will admit that it is probably one of the better beers you’ve ever shared a moment with.
When I was a kid I’d play basketball from roughly 8 am until 9 pm every single day of the summer. One day as the sun descended peacefully like always, and the gnats swarmed for their sweaty feast, I became incredibly vertiginous, the world bouncing left to right all around me. I sat down and lied back on the grass as the un-ballast world came back to a steady medium. I made my way home following a ten-minute recovery process and found myself intensely craving fruit. I ate seemingly endless amounts of Dole fruit bowls, strawberries, oranges, and bananas until I was finally sated. This event turned out to be reoccurring. Mom told the good ole pediatrician what was happening and he said… “He could be somewhat hypoglycemic. Though, his numbers are good.”
“Hypo what?” Mom said.
“Glycemic. Could be. Just needs some extra potassium when he’s out there playing ball all day.” From then on I told people I was hypoglycemic and would always receive an “O” face of pseudo-astonishment and any amount of fruit from all kitchens in town. I cleaned kitchens out of fruit my entire childhood. I don’t know how serious hypoglycemia is and I’m pretty sure I don’t have it. The equation of 13 hours of basketball plus 0 ounces of water is what probably equaled dizziness/intense need for potassium. And now, at an age when beer is welcomed, I am falling dizzy again on all front yards. I am coming into your kitchen. And I am taking your fruit, along with the blueberries and the bottle it comes in. Unfortunately this new source of fruit seems to keep the world bouncing all around me. Who knew as you got older this feeling of an unbalanced world would be embraced?
The Sea Dog Bluepaw Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale is a fruit beer done right. Potassium and hops. A hypoglycemic’s perfect poison. Cheers to bright blue, yellow, and orange beer shelves. I welcome you, Spring, along with all the beers that complement you.
April 28, 2010 · Filed under The Brewmaster's Corner
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A few quick things today:
-My Orlando Magic swept the Charlotte Bobcats last night, despite getting little to no production out of Dwight Howard the entire series. Jameer Nelson stepped up and became the leader of the team. While they got the sweep and will have some time to relax now, they have a lot to work on. They played far from four perfect games, despite winning them all. Howard has got to learn how to not pick up avoidable fouls, and the secondary players like Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus and JJ Redick were not at their best. Charlotte didn’t seem ready for the challenge of playing such a good team, and Steven Jackson in particular looked overmatched. The Magic can now rest up and see who wins the Hawks/Bucks series, but I can’t imagine that Stan Van Gundy will let them go home without working hard. I must say, though: What’s the deal with the Bobcats fans? It seemed like they knew nothing about the NBA whatsoever. The only guy that they had any reaction to was Redick, who they constantly booed from his days at Duke. There was no reaction to a single other player. Their in-game announcer was about as annoying as anyone I can ever remember. I got some added joy out of beating Michael Jordan and seeing how upset he looked on the bench. Take that, MJ! Go back to Vegas and gamble.
-The ninth season of American Idol is officially halfway through, and I must say that this has been the worst season to date. I know that lots of people always say that each year is the worst year, since knocking Idol is the cool thing to do. I’m not that guy. I thought that last season was a great one, with Adam Lambert, Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta leading the way. This year just doesn’t have it. The only person I look forward to watching each week is Crystal Bowersox, who has been consistently excellent. But it seems like even she would have struggled in past seasons. Most years there’s a singer who doesn’t get enough appreciation from the judges, and fans complain about how they’re being under-hyped. Some people like that include Carly Smithson, Syesha Mercado and Iraheta. I feel like Bowersox might have fit in that category in past years. But the lack of any other hype-worthy contestants has made the judges go all-out in their adoration of her, and it’s a bit weird. In fact, the judges seem to be rewarding underwhelming performances far too often (see: Lee Dewyze) to prove to themselves that they haven’t failed in selecting this year’s talent. I’m assuming that Bowersox and Dewyze will be the final two, and if anyone but Bowersox wins this year’s title the show will have failed massively.
That’s it for now. Look out for a new podcast, likely tomorrow, and new columns throughout the week, including another edition of the Brewmaster’s Corner with Rob Sobel. I’ll be back on Friday most likely, with some good ol’ hockey talk. Take care.
April 27, 2010 · Filed under Uncategorized
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The 2010 NFL draft occurred this past weekend and there were certainly plenty of great stories regarding some of the men who saw their childhood dreams of one day playing in the NFL fulfilled. One story that deserves more of our focus is that of safety Myron Rolle, who was taken with the last pick of the 6th round by the Tennessee Titans. The interesting thing about Rolle is that he is just as likely to become a neurosurgeon as he is a star in the NFL. Last year he took the 2009 college football season off while at Florida State in order to pursue a year studying abroad at Oxford, as part of the Rhodes Scholar program, where he studied medical anthropology. Many teams hesitated to take him due to the fact that they think his heart may not be 100% in football, but the Titans decided to take a shot on the 23 year old with the 207th pick of the draft.
Rolle, whose family is originally from The Bahamas, came into college as the number one ranked high school recruit, according to ESPN, and went on to play for Bobby Bowden at Florida State in Tallahassee. In 2008, his final year playing in college, he was a 3rd team All-American safety and likely would have been taken within the first 3 rounds of the draft had he left for the NFL then. In addition to being one of only 32 Americans each year to earn a Rhodes Scholarship in 2008, he also earned a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science in just two and a half years with a 3.75 GPA. Furthermore, in the coming years, Rolle plans to establish a free health services clinic in his native Bahamas with the help of his family.
From a football standpoint, I believe the Titans made one of the best picks of the draft in getting Rolle. Not only is he a talented safety who continues to drive home the point that he is truly committed to being a full-time NFL player, but he is also an intelligent and disciplined player who will do whatever it takes to help his team win and he will certainly have no trouble learning his defensive duties and schemes quickly. One has to hope that it all works out for Rolle in the NFL and whatever career he decides to pursue once his football playing days are over. His journey can certainly be an inspiration to children that they can be both intelligent and well-spoken and still become a professional athlete.
It is nice to finally see the NFL being known for having a player who is intelligent, dedicated, and has the character that children can be proud to emulate. Many football players are known by their off the field issues as much as their talent on the field. The great story of Rolle comes on the heels of the news that Pittsburgh Steeler’s quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended at least 4 games due to his actions off the field where he was accused of sexually assaulting a 20 year old girl at a bar in a college town in Georgia, although he was recently cleared of all charges. When we usually hear about athletes off the field it is because they have done something wrong. In the NFL in particular, perhaps due to the violence of the sport, we hear of many off the field issues regarding domestic violence and other kinds of assault and battery. It is great to hear about a different kind of athlete who is not seen as a brute and can be congratulated for the way he acts off the field.
The path taken by Rolle to the NFL is an unusual one, however, it is one that we should praise and encourage others to take on. Sports are a way for many athletes who come from dirt poor communities to make a living and support their families, but in sports not everybody can become a superstar. Even if a player may have the talent, they might lack finding the right opportunities or injuries can derail an athlete from becoming a star. The fact that Rolle continued his educational career is a great example because if football doesn’t work out for him, he certainly will have many other opportunities knocking at his door. In a way, it is a shame that he was penalized by the heads of certain NFL teams in the draft because they felt he wasn’t fully committed to football. While I understand that they invest millions of dollars into a business where they rely on athletes to eat, live, and sleep football, it is unfortunate that Rolle’s draft status was hurt by his pursuit of a degree and the fact that he wanted to further his educational endeavors. In my opinion, the fact that he did pursue a Rhodes Scholarship and studied a year abroad at one of the greatest educational institutions in the world shows qualities that I would love a player on my team to have. Aside from being remarkably intelligent, the desire to be greater than the average player is a positive quality to have and Rolle has certainly demonstrated that he is smart enough to know how to best use his abilities for the greater good of a team. During his Rhodes Scholarship program abroad in England he would wake up at 6 in the morning to train to make sure his NFL dreams could still be alive. He returned home in December of 2009, one month before the Senior Bowl and two months before the NFL combine. One thing he certainly learned abroad is time management and discipline, as Rolle had to balance his studies with staying fit and in football shape while I’m sure much of his other classmates were out partying.
Hopefully more athletes and people in general will follow in Rolle’s footsteps in the coming years. Perhaps the most important thing to take away from his journey is that you can be a successful professional athlete and an intelligent and studious individual at the same time, and in fact the combination of the two will help you become better at both. Many people view most athletes as being undeserving of the pedestal that they are put on by our society. While this may be true in some cases, Myron Rolle is certainly an individual who should be used as a role model for children and adults alike.
April 26, 2010 · Filed under NFL
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This year, my favorite NBA team, the Orlando Magic, have a real shot to win the NBA title. Unlike a year ago, when they had a semi-miraculous run to the NBA Finals, it is easily within the realm of possibility for them to win it all this year. They finished the season with the 2nd best record in the NBA, trailing only the Cleveland Cavaliers, whom they beat in the conference finals a year ago. It’s realistic to think that that my beloved Magic, led by Dwight Howard, Vince Carter and Jameer Nelson, could win, and I’d experience my NBA team winning the title for the first time in my life. And it would suck.
As you probably already know, I live in New Jersey and am a fan of the New York sports teams outside of basketball. When I was 7, the Rangers had won the Stanley Cup and I had become a Yankee fan from going to a bunch of games, including Jim Abbott’s no-hitter in 1993. I wasn’t fully into the NFL yet, but I knew that I was a Giants fan. For some reason, the Knicks never appealed to me. It’s not like the Knicks were a lowly cellar-dwelling team, either. They made it to the 7th game of the NBA Finals the same year that the Rangers won the Cup. I was never a big Patrick Ewing fan, and I was always mad that this unknown thing called “The Knicks” would bump the Rangers from being on TV throughout the winter in the days before MSG 2, Metro, MSG Plus, FSNY, and all of the other channels that the Rangers have been displaced to. So, I found a team called the Magic. I liked the fact that they wore pinstripes and my seven-year old mind associated them with the Yankees because of it. My family went to Disney World that November, and the Magic were all the rage. While I was there, I learned about a big, hulking, 7 foot tall center named Shaquille O’neal who was hyped up to be the next big star in the league. He was funny, he was in movies, and he had a cool nickname in Shaq. Ever heard of the guy? I’m not sure what happened to him after 1995. Must’ve flamed out. Oh, well. They also had a rising star in Anfernee Hardaway, nicknamed Penny. Nobody called him Anfernee. Makes me think of one of my favorite lines that Tim Meadows had in Mean Girls: “My apologies. I have a nephew named Anfernee, and I know how mad he gets when I call him Anthony. Almost as mad as I get when I think about the fact that my sister named him Anfernee.” They also had Dennis Scott, my favorite player on the team, a long-distance 3 point shooter. He had a great nickname: 3D. Why hasn’t anyone else ever used this nickname? Wouldn’t it work for anyone whose first or last name starts with a B, C, D, E, G, P, T, V or Z? Sasha Vujacic’s career wouldn’t have gone further if people called him 3V? The team had the 1 seed in the 1995 playoffs, and after going through a gritty Boston Celtics team, they ran into the Chicago Bulls in the second round, featuring the return of Michael Jordan. In a tough series, the Magic pulled out a victory in 6 games, becoming the only team after 1990 to beat Jordan’s Bulls in the playoffs. They won another dramatic series against Reggie Miller’s Indiana Pacers and looked destined to become NBA Champions as they reached the finals against the Houston Rockets, a lowly 6 seed out west. But, as history has shown us before, it’s impossible to sleep on a veteran, championship team. The Rockets displayed why they were the defending champions at the time and manhandled the young, inexperienced Magic, leading to a 4 game sweep. The Magic seemed in control in game 1, but Nick Anderson missed four huge free throws and the Magic unraveled after that. They hadn’t had to deal with any type of adversity yet, and they fell apart at the seams. They lost the next three games, and the Rockets never looked back. They squandered their chance at a title, and by the next year Jordan’s Bulls were back in full swing and the Magic never came as close to a championship again. O’Neal left the Magic in 1996, on the day before my birthday, no less. Talk about a blown 9th birthday. Things would continue to go downhill for the franchise, as Hardaway started to pile on injuries, Scott faded away and Anderson, haunted by the free throw misses, was never quite the same. In the next few years, the Magic would fire coach Brian Hill, hire the late Chuck Daly and usher in Rony Seikaly, one of the most disappointing players in my memory.
Here was the tipping point in my relationship with the Magic. I was still only a 10 year old kid. Most of the players that I knew and loved from 95 were either gone or had diminished. Should I jump onto another team, such as the upstart Los Angeles Lakers, who now had Shaq as well as a young up-and-comer named Kobe Bryant? Or do I stay the course? It was a no-brainer. I became a Magic fan, and I had to stay a Magic fan. I kept my Hardaway jersey and stayed with the team. Things weren’t terrible, but in 1999, after being upset in the first round of the playoffs by the Allen Iverson-led 76ers, things would change. Hardaway was all but given away after the season, as was Horace Grant and Anderson. The only players that would remain on the team of significance were Darrell Armstrong, a likeable 6th man off the bench, and my new favorite basketball player of all time, Bo Outlaw.
When I think about who my favorite athletes of all time are, they usually relate to how I played as a kid. I was never an overly talented athlete. I was slow, couldn’t jump very high, and tired quickly. But I’d try really hard, and with the effort would generally play reasonably well. For the most part, the athletes that I liked the most were the ones that played a bit like me. My favorite hockey player was Adam Graves because he didn’t have the most speed or skills but he knew how to use his stick and body to get to the front of the net. He would score goals that may not have been pretty but were always important. Bo Outlaw made me feel the same way. He also didn’t have the most skill, but he always looked like he was working harder than everybody else on the court. He couldn’t score for the life of him, and his free throw technique reminded me of Ellen Degeneres’ run on American Idol this year: awkward, disjointed and with no technical accuracy, yet nobody wanted to talk about it. But he was a great rebounder, blocked tons of shots and always outworked the other team’s top forward. I was instantly fond of him and he reignited my passion for the Magic. In the 99-00 season, the Magic finished 41-41 despite having little to no talent on the roster. Outlaw played a big part in the team’s surprising run to decency, and I couldn’t have enjoyed them more. They remain my favorite team in Magic history. Things would take a turn for the worse in the next few years, when the massive contract they gave to Grant Hill would cripple the team until the middle of the decade. Finally, led by young superstar Dwight Howard, spunky Jameer Nelson and a strong supporting cast, the Magic climbed their way back to relevancy in the last few years, culminating in their trip to the NBA Finals last year, dispatching of the favored Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers on the way. The loss in the finals was a disappointment, but as the Magic worked their way to the second best record in the NBA this year, it’s been clear that they’re a team that’s primed for a sustained run in the NBA’s elite.
Here’s where there’s a problem. As I watched the Magic’s run last year, I had nobody to celebrate it with outside of my friend Brian Livingstone, who was only rooting for them due to his creepy man-love of Patrick Ewing, who has gone on to be the assistant coach of the Magic since his playing days as a Knick. He loves Ewing as much as Ewing loves strippers in Atlanta. When the Magic won the East, the only way to get an East Champions t-shirt was by going online and ordering the shirt, and it didn’t arrive until after the Magic were eliminated in the finals. (By the way, there’s no greater jinx than buying your favorite team’s division or conference championship shirt while the playoffs are still going on. You’re saying that you’re satisfied with how far the team has already gone even if they get eliminated. You wouldn’t buy a conference championship shirt if your favorite team wins the title, right? You’d buy the league championship shirt. The premature purchase is automatically jinxing your team because of the satisfaction that goes with buying it. It’s the same reason that the Eastern Conference champions in the NHL won’t touch the conference championship trophy. They’ll only touch the ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup. Needless to say, I won’t be buying an Eastern Conference Champions t-shirt if the Magic win the conference this year.) If the Magic were to win the title this year, I’d obviously be thrilled. I’d want to go out to Modell’s and buy every title-related item that I could find, as is the duty of a loyal fan. But, since I live in New Jersey, they almost certainly wouldn’t carry any merchandise for a distant team in Florida that almost nobody in this area roots for. I would have to take a shot in the dark and trek to the NBA Store in New York City, where they might not even have the merchandise, or order it online for a hefty fee, which would likely have a wait time of days to weeks before I could wear it. By then the allure of wearing the clothes for a newly minted champion may have worn off somewhat, and part of the purpose of buying it all would have been defeated. Even if I were able to go on a shopping spree at the NBA Store, wouldn’t it be relatively uncomfortable to wear it in this area? Think about this: Outside of some friends, family, and now my readers, nobody knows the depths of my Magic fandom. To the average guy, I’d be just another fair-weather, front running fan who only supports the flavor-of-the-month team. Otherwise known as the worst type of fan there is. How could they know how long I’ve been watching this team? They’d dismiss me as a phony. What fun is that? What satisfaction would I get besides the internal joy of knowing that I had earned the right to celebrate?
With this in mind, I present a plea to the parents of young sports fans: you’re your children support either the local team or the same team as you. If you’re a Yankees fan displaced in Phoenix and you want them to root with you, that’s acceptable. If the Yanks win a title (and the way they’ve looked through the first 3 weeks makes me think there’s a good chance of it), you’ll have something to celebrate together. But if you’re not a big sports fan, influence your kids to root for the local team. It will save them a whole lot of aggravation, and it’ll let them have something to talk to their friends about in school. I love being a Magic fan, but the lack of a community to celebrate with in good times and to kvetch with in bad times can be a buzzkill. The majority of their games aren’t on TV, which can be a pain during the regular season, but the communal aspect is far worse. In my time living in New York City, my favorite moment was when the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2008. After they beat the Patriots, I went to Times Square to celebrate. The commotion was unlike anything I’d ever seen in my lifetime. The eight block span became a virtual mosh pit, with people of all ages celebrating together in the street for hours in freezing cold weather. The next day everyone in New York City seemed like they were in a better mood. There was a hop in everyone’s step. There was a citywide exuberance over the success of a local team. I’ll never be a part of that joy as a Magic fan.
Let me leave you with this: Why do we go to sports games? The view of the game is almost always better on a big HDTV, and it’s certainly cheaper. So what’s really the point, especially for an indoor, winter sport like basketball? We go to games because we want the experience of going to a place where everyone only cares about rooting for our favorite team. We can’t get this when talking about our jobs, or politics, or the popular shows on TV. We want to experience a victory as a community, even if we don’t outwardly celebrate with others. I love the Magic, and I’d be psyched if they win the title, don’t get me wrong. But for people that haven’t already caught this out-of-market disease, there’s no reason to start. All it does is strip people of one of the main reasons we watch sports: the common bond that it gives us with others. It’s not something worth losing, no matter how alluring another team may be.
April 23, 2010 · Filed under NBA
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